Someone Like You
by Sweet-Porcelain16
Summary: Nick and Jeff are simply best friends. But that all changes when they decide to make pancakes for Wes' birthday. Niff. Fluff, some angst. Epic food fight included. I suck at summaries. Read and Review!


**A/N: Eep, have some Neff! Oh, you'll be so proud of me, I actually researched the recepie for pancakes before I wrote this :) **

**Warnings**: **Strong language, mild sexual thoughts, just my usual. **

**Oh. I don't usually do this, but I suggest listening to 'Someone Like You' by Adele when you see this symbol: (*) . **

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"Nick! Psst, Nick, wake up!" Jeff's voice startled Nick, who groaned, still half asleep, swatting away his best friend blindly.

"Go 'way. M'shleeping." He murmured, rolling over so that he was lying on his front, away from Jeff. Being Jeff, however, he didn't give up. He leaned over, so that his lips were inches from Nick's ear, his fringe falling forewords and tickling him.

"But it's _Wes' birthday_" he whispered, waiting for the brunette Warbler to understand the significance.

"It's also six o'cl- oh." Jeff smiled as Nick finally understood what was so important that he had to wake his best friend up so early.

"You want me to help you make pancakes." It wasn't a question, but Jeff nodded anyway, forgetting that Nick couldn't see him. Nick sighed, rolling over again and finally opening his eyes. Jeff was leaning over him, wearing nothing but a pair of red pyjama-pants. With difficulty, Nick pulled his eyes away from his best friend's bare chest, looking up to meet his eyes instead. He'd seen Jeff shirtless on many occasions, but there was something intimate about the way Jeff was leaning over him, eyes twinkling, face flushed. His hair was tousled from sleep, but his eyes were bright with excitement.

"I've never made a pancake in my life," Nick admitted, flattening his hair self consciously, tearing his gaze away from Jeff.

"Never made a- Nick, you have had a deprived childhood." Jeff shook his head in mock-sympathy, before grinning. "Come on, I'll show you. It's easy." Nick groaned again, about to refuse and go back to sleep. Sensing his reluctance, Jeff pulled out the puppy-dog eyes, making his face the picture of innocence. "Please?" It was impossible to refuse.

"Ugh, fine. Whatever." Nick sat up slowly, throwing his duvet aside, swinging round, and standing up. He slipped his feet into his blue slippers reluctantly, straightening out the tank top-vest that he slept in. Jeff grinned victoriously before almost skipping out of the room, beckoning for Nick to follow. They made their way down the deserted hallways, careful not to wake the other students. The Warblers had their own block of rooms; something about their practicing keeping other students awake. The block was only small, but it was laid out the same as the larger ones: three floors, the top two of which held the bedrooms, the ground floor being home to a common room and a kitchen.

The carpet muffled the boys' footsteps as they descended the last staircase, throwing open the door to the kitchen. The room was large. Cabinets lined the walls, and a large table stood in the middle of the room.

"So," Nick started, flicking the light switch on. "How do you make pancakes?" Jeff grinned wordlessly, reaching up to fish a frying pan out of one of the cabinets.

"Fetch us the eggs from the fridge," He replied, ignoring Nick's question as he searched for more ingredients. "If you can reach," he added teasingly, noticing his best friend straining to reach the eggs, which sat on the top shelf of the fridge. Nick grumbled, giving up and tossing Jeff the more easily reachable tub of butter instead, which was caught effortlessly. Finally, the ingredients were laid out on the counter.

"So now what?" Nick questioned, eying the sieve apprehensively. Last time he'd tried to sift flour, it hadn't ended well. The flour had taken months to get out from behind the radiator. When he voiced his concerns to Jeff however, the blonde just smiled.

"That's because you're an idiot. But I have a feeling you'd make less mess sifting than you would whisking." Jeff gestured to the large bowl that he was cracking eggs in as he spoke. Nick disagreed, but he began sifting the flour anyway, ignoring the fact that none of it seemed to end up in the bowl, but instead in a ring around the outside. Jeff didn't seem to mind. He just shook his head fondly, a trace of a smile on his lips, and took over the sifting. Eventually, the batter was made, with only minimal mess.

"Wow," Nick said, grinning to himself jokily, placing the clear glass bowl full of batter onto the counter. "I feel so proud."

"Phhht, they're not done yet. Don't get excited," Jeff joked back, winking. "We still have to cook them," He smiled, and pulled the bowl of batter from in front of Nick in one swift movement, grabbing the pan from where he'd left it, and pouring a little of the mixture into it. Nick watched him work; he really was good at it. He moved so easily around the place, fluid, like he was very familliar with it. Nick realised suddenly that he probably was. Jeff was beautiful when he concentrated. "Okay, Nick, do you want to do this bit?"

"Hmm?" Nick shook his head, trying to clear it, shaking away the thoughts. _Bad _thoughts. Intruding when he was trying to cook. Jeff seemed to take the shake of the head as a refusal, however.

"Oh, come on, it's easy!" Jeff exclaimed, moving so that he was stood behind Nick. "I'll show you. Come here." Gently, still standing behind him, Jeff took hold of Nick's hands and guided him towards the stove, letting go quickly to light it, but then lightly touching his wrists. Nick bit his lip, thankful that Jeff was behind him so he couldn't see his face. "Okay," Jeff said casually, carefully moving Nick's arm, resting it on the handle of the frying pan. "Right. You just-" He broke off, moving forewards a little, pressing himself against Nick's back so that he could see over his shoulder and show him what do do. Nick suppressed a shiver at the proximity, trying to ignore the way Jeff's arms against his own as he shook the pan, trying to ignore Jeff's bare chest against his back. "Like that!" Jeff eventually finished, moving Nick's arms so that the pancake was tipped onto the waiting plate. "Ta-daa!"

"Uh..." Nick bit his lip, trying to ignore the dissapointment that washed through him as Jeff moved away.

"Your turn," Jeff smiled, gesturing to the bowl of batter.

"Uh... I don't know what... I can't..." Nick wasn't about to admit that he hadn't been watching the pan. He'd been too distracted by his best friend.

"You weren't watching!" Jeff accused, slight hurt in his voice.

"Sorry." The brunette mumbled back, breaking the eye contact and looking down at the floor.

"Awww," Jeff sighed, moving closer to Nick, slowly. "Are you sad?" Nick didn't look up. He didn't know why exactly he wanted to guilt-trip the blonde, but it probably had something to do with how hard he made it to only want to be friends. Especially considering that they were both _straight, _for god's sake. "Poor Nicky." And then Jeff was ruffling his hair, grinning like a maniac.

"Wha-_?_" Something white and powdery clung onto Nick's fringe. "What the?" He ran a hand through his hair, feeling that the stuff was all over his head.

"Flour bomb?" Jeff posed it as almost a question, his face once again the picture of innocence, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"You did not just-"

"Oh, but I did," Jeff smirked, raising his eyebrows in a look that clearly said _'What are you gonna do about it?_'

"My hair..." Nick practically wimpered, trying to shake the flour out of it. "I'm gonna get you, Jeffery Sterling!" And with that, Nick grabbed a handful of flour and chucked it at his best friend, where it caught him right in the face. Jeff spluttered, wiping flour from his eyes, his mouth falling open.

"Oh, you are going to _pay!_" Scooping up a handful of sugar, Jeff flung it at Nick, who dodged expertly, ducking begind the table, holding a tub of butter as his weapon.

Suddenly, a shout from behind him made Nick jump. "Landslide!" Nick jerked his head, looking upwards. Jeff's grinning face looked down at him, an evil glint in his eye. And then there was pancake batter all over his face. Nick sat in shock for a full second before reacting, wiping the stuff from his eyes and spitting it out his mouth, before jumping up, tossing lupms of butter at the quickly retreating, yet still cackling blonde.

"Nick, Nick, mercy! My _hair!_" Nick ignored his protests, catching up with him quickly and spearing butter on his face from behind. "Ew! _Nick!_" Jeff dodged out of his reach, grabbing the eggs from the counter and holding them up victoriously. "Throw any more and I'll fire." He warned, his features threatening. Nick giggled. He looked a mess, his hair ruffled and covered in flour, his face smeared with grease, yet somehow he seemed to look completely gorgeous at the same time. "What are you giggling at, Duval?" Jeff smirked, slowly picking up an egg from the box. "Do you find this funny?" Nick bit his lip, not trusting himself to keep quiet. Jeff stalked towards him slowly, smirking. "Because in my opinion, _this _is funny." His lips curved upwards, and he raised his egg in the air before sending it crashing down onto Nick's head. Nick's mouth fell open in shock. He hadn't expected him to actually-

"You little-" He ducked under the blonde's arm at lightning speed, ignoring the egg that was trickling down his face. Grabbing the bag of flour and a handful of eggs from the counter, he spun around, shoving them into the now empty batter-bowl. "My ammo," he qualified, ignoring his best friends shouts of protest.

"No way!" Jeff defended, grabbing the jug that was filled with milk. "Take _that!_" Nick dodged the flying liquid for the most part, though quite a lot caught his tank top, soaking it. In retaliation, he threw an egg, which missed it's target completely, hitting the far wall. Jeff smirked at him, satisfied, until five eggs were thrown one after the other, every one catching him, cracking on impact with his body, leaving yolk trickling down his chest. Nick ran, hiding behind a table, sensing that Jeff was about to throw something back. He laughed as a blob of butter flew past him, reaching into his bowl to grab a handful of flour to throw back. he didn't see it it reached it's target, however, because pretty soon he was on the move again, crawling out from behind the table and diving behind an open door. Peeping round the egde, Nick noticed that Jeff was coming closer, so pelted him with the last of his eggs. Now weaponless, Nick ran past Jeff, knowing that he was too busy removing egg from his hair to throw anything at him. As he grabbed more flour, he felt a shiver go up his spine. Someone was behind him. Whipping round, Nick was face to face with a grinning Jeff.

"So Mr. Duval," He drawled, smirking. "We meet again. At _last." _He reached up, sprinking flour into Nick's hair like you'd sprinkle glitter, his eyes shining, both boys panting and laughing, exausted.

"That was fun," Nick breathed, subcounsiously reaching up to wipe some of the grease from his face. He was breathing hard; both of them were, but they were grinning, their eyes twinkling.

"It was," Jeff agreed, moving to wipe butter from his own face. Nick smiled as he missed the spot where a huge blob stuck to his cheek.

"It's here," He murmured, wiping it away with his thumb, his hand lingering on Jeff's cheek. There was a moment, when there was silence. Nick watched Jeff quietly. Flour clung to his eyelashes like snow, some of it falling when he blinked slowly, falling onto his cheek. Nick didn't move his hand, dispite the fact that the butter had gone. Jeff didn't protest, instead leaning slightly into the touch. He seemed to be watching Nick as intently as Nick was watching him. And then their eyes caught again, and everything was clear. There they stood, in the middle of a kitchen, Jeff's bare chest rising and falling quickly with heavy breaths, Nick staring at him with such raw emotion, such love. And Jeff was staring back, the emotion mirrored in his own eyes. It was natural. Nick leaned in a little, slowly, giving Jeff time to back away if he wanted. He didn't, just continued watching Nick with wide eyes, pupils dilated. They were so close now, Nick could feel Jeff's hot breath on his face, he could see every last grain of flour that clung to his cheek, almost feel his eyelashes against his forehead. Nick's eyes flitted down to Jeff's lips, slightly parted, inviting. He was so close, it would be so easy to lean in and kiss him...

And then Jeff was gone, almost like he'd been shocked, darting to the other side of the room in an instant. Hurt washed through Nick, hurt and rejection and pain. Jeff's eyes were focused on something behind Nick, his cheeks flushing. Nick turned around, seeing instantly what Jeff had been looking at. Wes stood in the doorway, his face a mixture of surprise, apology and guilt, his mouth in a perfect 'o'.

"Oh my goodness... So sorry, oh-" And then he was gone, racing back down the hallway, his face red and eyes cast downwards. Nick swallowed hard, biting his lower lip self consiously. Jeff stood a little behind him, staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

"Listen, Jeff..." Nick started, not really sure what he was about to say. He wished that he was a litarate person, but he wasn't; words didn't come naturally to him, speaking his mind was hard, unless through writing. He wished that he was one of those people, like Blaine, who would just open their mouth and a perfectly formed speech would fall out, completely unrehearsed, yet flawless. _Kurt, there is a moment. _The whole thing was genius, and so romantic. And Nick understood exactly what he was saying. Back then, when he and Jeff had just been best friends, no complicated extra feelings attached, they'd listened in through the door, and giggled at the complete cheesiness of the entire thing. And then taken photos of the pair kissing and posted them on Facebook, but that was beside the point. Nick hadn't understood, at the time, how completely accuratly Blaine had described his feelings. _Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you forever... You move me. _There was no better way of putting it, the complete need for Jeff to be there. _Looking for you forever. _

"No, no. I... I understand, right?" Jeff was stammering, his eyes still glued to his shoes. He let out an awkward, humourles little laugh, his shoulders shaking. To be honest, Nick had no idea what he was talking about. "I- I'll just go then, um..." The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Jeff scurried out, face flaming, before Nick could protest. And then, he was alone.

Rejection. It stung, but he'd expected it. What confused Nick was that they were _so close, _and then... Nick groaned, his confusion turning to anger. Wes. Couldn't he have waited _Five. Fucking. Minutes?_ But no, he'd had to come and inturrupt what could have been a perfect moment. Nick swore, throwing an egg from the counter behind him against the wall, finding satisfaction in the way it cracked, the liquid sticking to the wall, but the shell falling to the floor, broken. He hadn't realised that he was crying until his eyes stung and his face was wet with tears. He fell to the floor, leaning against the cabinet, knees tucked to his chest, head in his hands. Jeff had left.

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Jeff aimed a kick at his wall, letting out a string of curses when it didn't help, only gave him a very sore foot to add to his problems. He collapsed on his bed with a loud sigh, staring at the ceiling, watching it blur and shift as his eyes filled with tears. He'd been so stupid, so stupid to think for even a second... He shook his head, ignoring the fact that his hair was still covered in food, and that it was probably ruining his pillow. His eyes squeased shut, feeling the tears cling to his eyelashes before falling onto his cheek like a raindrop. It wasn't fair. He hadn't asked for this, hadn't asked to fall in love. To fall in love with someone who would never reciprotate his feelings. To fall in love with his best friend. It was so hard sometimes, covering it up every day, pretending like he didn't want to just lean in and kiss Nick every time they were close, like he didn't want to just get lost in his beautiful eyes forever. When really, that was all he'd ever wanted**. (*)**

_I heard that you're settled down_

_That you found a girl and you're married now._

_I heard that your dreams came true,_

_Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you. _

And then he'd gone and blown it. _"Listen, Jeff." _His voice, so sad, so empty and defeated. He'd been about to tell him that it he had to go. That Jeff was his friend, and nothing more. He hadn't stuck around to listen, to hear his rejection. Jeff sighed, making his way over to the keyboard that stood in the corner of his room as if in a trance, not bothering to wipe away the tears.

_Old friend, why are you so shy?_

_Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light. _

He knew the music off by heart; it had always been one of his favourite songs.

_I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited_

_But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it._

_I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded_

_That for me it isn't over._

The notes rang out across the room, gentle, perfect, as usual. Jeff began to sing.

_"Never mind, I'll find someone like you_

_I wish nothing but the best for you too_

_Don't forget me, I beg_

_I remember you said,_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,"_

The tears were freer now, rolling down down his face without a hint of ever stopping. Somehow, he kept it together enough to sing, the lyrics falling from his lips easily, the tune never breaking, never wavering.

_"You know how the time flies_

_Only yesterday was the time of our lives_

_We were born and raised_

_In a summer haze_

_Bound by the surprise of our glory days"_

It hurt, like a physical wound to his chest. For the first time, he understood where the expression 'broken heart' came from. He felt broken, torn, like he wasn't whole.

_"I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited_

_But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it._

_I'd hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded_

_That for me it isn't over."_

Jeff was vaguly aware of a presence at his door, but he ignored it, assuming that it was Wes coming to apologise again. The keys seemed to play themselves, and Jeff put all of himself into the song, the emotion raw but pure, making his breath hitch.

_"Never mind, I'll find someone like you_

_I wish nothing but the best for you too_

_Don't forget me, I beg_

_I remember you said,_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."_

Sometimes it hurt instead. Jeff belted out the final chorus with all he had, concentrating hard on not giving in to the sobs that were threatening to overtake him, on keeping himself together.

_"Never mind, I'll find someone like you_

_I wish nothing but the best for you_

_Don't forget me, I beg_

_I remember you said,_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."_

There was silence for a few seconds, broken only by Jeff's heavy breathing. And then there was the sound of applause, coming from the door. Surprised, Jeff whipped his head around, forgetting to wipe away the tears.

"Oh, Jeff." His voice sounded broken, empty. Nick stood in the door, his own face streaked with tears, his eyes wide. Jeff watched him carefully, looking for signs that he was about to leave. There were none. And then Nick was close, pulling him into a hug, and Jeff lost it. He allowed himself to sob shamelessly into Nick's blazer, while the brunette held him, rubbing his back comfortingly, whispering beautiful nothings into his ear.

Eventually, Jeff pulled away slowly, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, shaking his head slightly. "I'm sorry," He muttered, avoiding Nick's gaze. He was embarrased, he hadn't meant to break down in front of Nick. But the brunette Warbler smiled a tiny smile, reaching slowly to wipe away a tear from Jeff's face.

"Don't be." And Jeff was filled suddenly with this undeniable love for the boy, smiling at him gently, looking at him like Jeff was his world.

"I love you." The words had slipped out before Jeff could stop them. His eyes widened. His mouth falling open in shock at his own words. Finally, he allowed himself to meet Nick's gaze, reluctantly, waiting for rejection, looking for it in his face. He found none. Only the same look that he'd been giving him in the kitchen, a look of deep emotion.

"I love you, too." Nick replied slowly, almost like he was testing out the words. Jeff swallowed nervously, his heart beating at what felt like a million miles an hour.

"Can I kiss you?" He murmured, blinking slowly.

"Yes," Nick breathed, "Yes. You can." And then they were kissing. And it was like nothing Jeff had ever experienced before; it was everything he'd wished for and more. The feeling of Nick's lips on his, his hand on his face, the way Nick smiled into the kiss, like he was just as pleased that this was finally happening. They broke apart reluctantly. Jeff's eyes fluttered open, catching Nick's imediatly.

"Wow." Nick was the one to break the comfortable silence, his voice breathy.

"Wow indeed." Jeff agreed, not removing his hand from Nick's face. "Can we do it again?"

Nick laughed, his forehead crinkling and his eyes shining. "Yes, Jeff. I think we can."

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**Oh, hai rushed ending! **

**I loved writing that. I really did. Feel free to review! Actually, scratch that. **_**Please, please, please **_**review. They mean the world to me. Thanks! **

**- Agent 3 xx**


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